Panorama Results

Results are in and the check-up has been scheduled.

In the summer of 2016 it was about 100 degrees in the Denver area. It was hot, I was over-heated. I was taking on a new job and was in the process of moving half way across the country for that promotion. I should have been nicer to myself, but I didn't. I sucked it up and put on my big-girl britches (Wow, where had those maternity pants been all my life? I definitely recommend jumping on that band wagon sooner than later- and for any reason). Although this child was planned, I didn't know I was stacking all of the life-changes on the plate at the same time. Oh hey, Buffet-of-Life, I'll take this and this and this! Yum! Also to my defense, when you have no children you think you can do everything at the same time.

At this point, my husband and I had been married for a year. I was 31 and pregnant. I had an abortion when I was 20 and I was beyond ecstatic to be in a position to have this child. Little did I know how much I would fall in love.

The panorama panel can give a little peek to what might be swimming around in the belly. It's a prenatal screening that can be administered at about 16 weeks of pregnancy. It can detect gender, chromosomal disorders and even a vanishing twin.

My husband and I agreed on knowing the gender and anything else a long the way. My husband had come to one appointment, couldn't decipher anything on the ultrasounds and didn't feel the need to come with me to any other appointments.

My doctor is a woman. I had no idea how lucky I was to have an office full of women. I thought her perk was that she delivers all her babies! I had no idea most hoo-haa doctors are dudes. Dr. Walsh comes in and asks how I'm doing as she always does. I tell her some gross complaining story where she assures me it's all normal. Then she asks again, "Are you sure you want to know the gender?" Yes, yes, yes! She continues, "It's a boy!"

"Only one?" I reply.

"Yes," she assures me, "only one. "

I didn't really care boy or girl, but by knowing the gender that meant less names to argue over. The way I figured it is if there were twins I wouldn't have to be pregnant twice. Ya know, I might as well pile on the dessert and not have to go through the buffet line twice.

"It also shows he has 47 chromosomes, which means he has an extra one."

"What does that mean?"

"It is showing he is specifically XXY. Cell mutations can happen- it's nothing you did- and there are different varieties." I don't remember if she explained more than that at first, but I will always remember her telling me, "If anything came back on this test, this is the one you want." She told me like I just won the jackpot. She told me everything she knew. She was sincere, intelligent, caring and kind.

There's about 4 more years to this story- as my son is alive and well. I did, I won the entire freaking gold mine. I won the jackpot with this XXY child of mine.